Posted on 01/13/2015 3:24:02 PM PST by 2ndDivisionVet
Well, this is more than a little depressing: The politician who tried reducing NASA funding (and successfully shut it down for over two weeks) is now in charge of the senate subcommittee that effectively controls NASA. More than that, one of the most vocal climate-change detractors is now in charge of the United States Senate's Environmental committee. Let's let that sink in for a minute, shall we? Despite all the progress we've made so far with things like unmanned, deep-space space-flight and our efforts toward limiting the negative effects that humans have had on the environment, any future plans are now up in the air. Any major scientific progress is now at the mercy of Republican senators Ted Cruz and James Inhofe. With their actions and words over the recent years, the pair have proved just how little they understand about each area they're now controlling.
In addition to exploring the reaches of space, NASA also has done a number of climate change studies -- something that Cruz also is an opponent of. He once told CNN that climate change was a hoax and a bogus theory that was designed to be immune to detractors. "They'll [scientists] say, well, it's changing so it proves our theory." He maintains that the problem with climate change is there's no data to support it and that "there has never been a day in the history of the world in which the climate is not changing." If you're curious why he was on camera in the first place, it was to espouse his energy bill that, among other things, would repeal "harmful" EPA regulations and promote more oil drilling.
In 2013, however, he said that it's "critical" that the US maintains its continued leadership in space. How he intends to do that isn't exactly clear given his track record.
Inhofe, on the other hand, is even more keen to undo emissions regulations, according to The Independent. Why? He thinks that rising world-wide temperatures might be an asset:
"It's also important to question whether global warming is even a problem for human existence. Thus far, no one has seriously demonstrated any scientific proof that increased global temperatures would lead to the catastrophes predicted by alarmists. In fact, it appears that just the opposite is true: that increases in global temperatures may have a beneficial effect on how we live our lives."
That stands in stark contrast to what the some 97 percent of climate scientists -- and non-climate scientists, like Stephen Hawking -- have to say about climate change. For his part, Hawking compares climate change to a threat on par with nuclear weaponry.
The pair of lawmakers have proven time and again that they have a shocking misunderstanding of the world around them and now they're in positions of direct power over topics they don't grasp. Whether it's due to willful ignorance or a simple refusal to accept fact is anyone's guess. To quote Neil deGrasse Tyson, the good thing about science is that it's true, whether or not you believe in it. Unfortunately, "science" can't write legislation or filibuster, but Ted Cruz and James Inhofe can.
(VIDEO-AT-LINK)
Before joining Engadget, Timothy spent half a decade freelancing for all manner of outlets writing about all sorts of (mostly video game-related) things. Timothy’s an A/V enthusiast who adores physical media, much to the chagrin of his available shelf space. He also loves music by Amon Tobin and the Deftones most of all. Oh, and he has a hard time not buying all the overpriced Calvin and Hobbes stuff on Etsy.
Timmy has no bona fides in terms of science.
He likes music.
And the writer doesn’t understand the intended mission of NASA.
Great news! Made my day.
Unfair!
Unfair!
Ad hominem attack!
/S
Just because the author of an article looks like a ditzy dweeb it does not make that article a load of spurious balderdash...
But that’s exactly what it is!
Yet he supports a President who was a Community Organizer? This tard is a Video Game reviewer who is parroting HuffPo and Slate, neither of which are anything more then propaganda generators so the RATS can print whatever the f**k they want and pretend it’s ok, “because i read it on the interweb...” Derp.
I have no doubt that what the author says is true, these politicians certainly do not understand science. However, the scientists who hold sway at NASA, the EPA, and the IPCC have completely abandoned science in favor of partisan politics and in consequence they have lost all standing to argue on scientific grounds. They are political whores and deserve to be treated as such.
What a sniveling little turd - grab his books and throw them into the girl’s bathroom, then watch him cry.
If he's going to write about this stuff I wish he'd at least keep up with it. 97% Debunked This is just rubbish.
re the writer, SOS (Same Old Shit). 97% of climate scientists - NO. Maybe 97% of those who were polled but we don’t know who was included in the poll.
On the other side, several hundred of the top climate/environmental scientists in the world (including many top awards winners), say that the “global warming” that Left is talking about is too often based on inadequate samples, poor modeling, made-up “facts”, and are misinterpreted for ideological reasons.
The climate/weather changes every day. Fact.
It was constantly changing long before mankind did anything.
There are some climate “spots” and weather changes/ocean waters changing, that should be monitored because it is possible that some manmade chemicals or processes are effecting them.
However, if we are about to enter into another “Little Ice Age”, then “global warming” will be proven to be a scientific hoax. However, we won’t be around to see it because real change takes a long time to be detected.
Real scientists believe that Democrats can control the environment if only they had the power to halt capitalism. They could somehow decide on a particular global temperature and force the planet Earth to accept their dictates.
Stephen Hawking wants Muslim outreach!
All the republicans need to do is require that any scientific findings paid for by the government will be published with all of its data.
Al Gore material here.
This guy is loonier than a Canadian dollar bill. NASA was a great organization back in the ‘60s when it was the skunk works of Dr. Von Braun. It is now nothing but another bureaucracy, sucking up hard earned money from American taxpayers for Muslim outreach. James Hansen, Director of NSASs Global Institute for Space Studies, is a prime example. He spent his whole career crying “fire” in a crowded theater only to find out there was no fire.
Well, he likes Calvin and Hobbes, and Calvin was a scientist who invented stuff, so that makes him a science expert.
Timothy J. Seppala is a credulous, bed-wetting fool who has no understanding whatsoever of science.
The climate is a changing alright and government scientists are clueless. This winter we have a new change. Tropical snow. Snow occurring in tropical climates. The exact opposite of what government scientist were predicting. That means they are not doing science.
That’s three partisan media shills, that I’ve seen, shilling against Ted Cruz because of their agenda, the global warming hoax. Was there a PEEP out of any of them back when Zero turned NASA’s mission from space exploration to muzzie outreach? DIdn’t think so.
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